An online course from the editors of Santé
The Santé course for people who serve, sell and love wine. Fifteen modules that run from the vine and the cellar to the classic regions, the tasting bench, the dinner table and the business of a wine list.
From the editors of Santé Magazine, since 1996
30 lessons · about 10.8 hours
The core of wine for enthusiasts and new front-of-house staff: what wine is and where it came from, the major grapes, how a vineyard and a cellar shape what is in the glass, the classic regions of Europe and the New World, how to taste with purpose, and how to pair wine with food. A 30-question final closes the track.
All 70 lessons across 15 modules · about 27 hours
Everything in Essentials and 40 more lessons written for restaurant professionals: the regions in depth, deductive tasting, service standards from mise en place to decanting, salesmanship and recovering a table when things go wrong, the business of wine from pricing to the list, and beer, sake and spirits. Prepares you for WSET Level 2 and the CMS Introductory Sommelier exam.
Fifteen modules and 70 lessons, in the order a good mentor would teach them. Lessons markedProfessional are in the Professional Edition only; the rest are in both tracks.
Figures at right are the reading time of each lesson, in minutes.
Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
Module 5
Module 6
Module 7
Module 8
Module 9
Module 10
Module 11
Module 12
Module 13
Module 14
Module 15
Each lesson sets out what you will learn, then teaches it with tables, comparisons of the classic styles and notes for the floor. Video accompanies the text as the films are released.
Five questions, one at a time, with an explanation after each answer. Submit it and the lesson is complete; 70% is a pass.
Lessons open in order, so each builds on the last. Retake any quiz as often as you like; the answers are reshuffled each time.
Essentials ends with a 30-question final and a completion badge; the Professional Edition with a 60-question final and a certificate of completion.
One payment, no subscription, lifetime access. Start with Essentials and upgrade later for the difference.
The core of wine, in 30 lessons.
$99One payment
All 70 lessons, written for people who work the floor.
$199One payment
Essentials is for enthusiasts and new front-of-house staff who want a disciplined grounding in wine. The Professional Edition is written for people who work the floor: servers, bartenders, managers, retail and distributor staff, and anyone preparing for formal wine study.
Each lesson is a piece of reading of about 25 minutes, with tables and worked examples, accompanied by a short video as the films are released. Every lesson opens with what you will learn and closes with a five-question quiz.
You answer one question at a time and see straight away whether you were right, with a short explanation. Submitting the quiz completes the lesson and opens the next one. 70% is a pass; you can retake any quiz as often as you like and the answers are reshuffled each time.
Essentials learners who pass the 30-question final at 70% receive the Wine Fundamentals: Essentials — Completion Badge. Professional Edition learners who pass the 60-question final at 75% receive the Santé Academy — Wine Fundamentals: Professional Edition — Certificate of Completion. Both can be checked on a public verification page. They are Santé Academy credentials, not sommelier certifications.
The Professional Edition prepares you for WSET Level 2 and the CMS Introductory Sommelier exam. Those qualifications are awarded only by their own bodies, through their own examinations.
Yes. Moving from Essentials to the Professional Edition costs the difference between the two plans, and every lesson and quiz you have completed carries over.
Yes. Restaurant groups, hotels, distributors and schools can buy seats for their staff, organized by venue or team, with due dates and progress reports for managers. Write to academy@santemagazine.com for team pricing.